Prices at 6 hospitals in New Orleans, LA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $55 — 65% below the US median ($157), roughly 1.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans East Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $35 | $39 | — | 140 min | — |
| Ochsner Medical Center Acute | New Orleans, LA | $43 | $49 | ★ 4/5 | 174 min | — |
| Childrens Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $55 | $39 | — | — | — |
| University Medical Center New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $67 | $39 | ★ 2/5 | 327 min | — |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $230 | — | — | — | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated September 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $55 — about 1.4× the Medicare rate ($39). Reasonable. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($79).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $213 list price could save about $158 (74%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All BNP (heart failure) test prices in Louisiana → · All BNP (heart failure) test prices (national) · All hospitals in New Orleans